


Stranded

by CloudXMK



Series: The Adventures of Porter Cliff and His Adopted Kids [1]
Category: Death Stranding (Video Games)
Genre: Action, Adopted!Higgs Monaghan, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Age Changes, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Blood and Injury, Cliff Whump, Family, Family Feels, Father-Daughter Relationship, Father-Son Relationship, Fatherhood, Gen, Gun Violence, Hurt/Comfort, Inspired by Author ChangeTheCircumstances, Inspired by Fanfiction, Kid!Higgs Monaghan, Kid!Sam Porter Bridges, Porter!Cliff, Temporary Character Death, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-24
Updated: 2019-11-24
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:34:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21543850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CloudXMK/pseuds/CloudXMK
Summary: Pain wracked his chest and he coughed out more blood. He had to hurry. Hurry before it was too late and leave them all alone.
Relationships: BB-28 | Louise & Clifford Unger, Sam Porter Bridges & Clifford Unger, Sam Porter Bridges & Higgs Monaghan, Sam Porter Bridges & Higgs Monaghan & Clifford Unger
Series: The Adventures of Porter Cliff and His Adopted Kids [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1552654
Kudos: 109





	Stranded

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ChangeTheCircumstances](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChangeTheCircumstances/gifts).



> So this fic is inspired by ChangeTheCircumstances. I had an idea that was quite similar to theirs much to our shock making me wonder if we actually share the same brain lmao.
> 
> This is an alternate universe where Cliff is a porter and this could be treated as a companion piece to ChangeTheCircumstances fic. Hope you guys enjoy it, you too ChangeTheCircumstances!

It should have been a simple journey. Just deliver some medicine to a doctor on the outskirts of Lake Knot City. It wasn’t even that far to drive out there. And then the fucking terrorists just had to show up and ruin the day.

MULES were one thing but the terrorists were another issue altogether. They had no qualms of killing people and causing voidouts so they had to make a run for it in their truck.

Unfortunately, the terrorists caught up riding their own vehicles that Cliff suspected they probably hijacked or killed for and surrounded them firing away without a care in the world. “DUCK!” Cliff shouts, pushing both boys down underneath the dashboard as shards of glass fell around them and the loud booms of gunfire echoed around them. 

“Stay down and don’t move!” Cliff orders the terrified children removing Lou from his chest and giving her to the boys. He couldn’t risk Lou getting hit under such heavy fire. 

“Dad, wait!” Sam cried out reaching for the his father. 

“Pops!” Higgs yelled, scrambling to get under cover whilst taking Sam down and trying to protect him. 

“Stay here!” Cliff barks, barring any arguments. He needed to take these terrorists out now. The truck can only hold out for so long.

Pulling out his non-lethal assault rifle, Cliff started firing at the terrorists through the broken window, knocking out three of them, then quickly got out and slammed the door behind him. He ran as more bullets fired too close to him and slid across the truck, hiding behind the vehicle using it as a shield. Taking aim, he fired more shots dropping another two more.

Footsteps crunched behind him and before Cliff could turn to defend himself, one of the terrorists grabbed him up by the back of his collar and slammed his head into the truck and then proceeded to punch him in the torso repeatedly.

Dazed but not out of the fight yet, Cliff attempts to fight back. He grunts when he felt a rib snap, and in a desperate attempt to defend himself before the man could do any more heavy damage to him, kicks the man in the stomach putting some distance between them. The terrorist whipped out a dagger then ready to plunge the blade into Cliff but the man managed to dodge the attack, the edge of the blade grazing his cheek before he then swung his rifle at the man’s head hard enough to make the man's skull crack.

That got the terrorist to drop his dagger as he clutched his head and moaned in pain. Raising his rifle, Cliff then shot a couple of rounds into the terrorist’s head knocking the man out. Coughing and spitting out blood, Cliff then quickly got rid of the rest, getting a few grazes from the bullets but thankfully none of them did not hit anything major. He even threw one of his cargo (thankfully not the cargo he was supposed to deliver) at one of the men knocking him out.

Heaving, Cliff quickly grabbed the cargo and rushed back to the truck. He was relieved to see that the boys and Lou were safe and sound although they were pretty shaken from the whole ordeal. Hopping in, Cliff started the truck again and beckoned them to get back up.

“It’s safe now.” The boys did so, buckling in with Sam holding onto Lou.

After that, everything seemed to be going just fine. That was until the throbbing pain in his chest suddenly turned quite intense. Cliff cries out, clutching his ribs, bending over the steering wheel as he tries to stave the pain away. It was like someone was digging a dull blade into his lung and twisting it slowly.

Blood started to fill his mouth and he couldn’t help but cough out a few droplets, the red liquid dribbling down his chin.

_Damn. Punctured lung._ He figured.

This was bad. He needed to rush the delivery or he wouldn’t make it. Screw the condition of the other cargoes. He was on a time limit now. If he didn’t get to the doctor in time, there would be no delivery, no rescue of Amelie for this goddamn mission that he should never have agreed to, but most of all no one to keep the boys and Lou safe and raise them all.

The thought of the kids out here in this wasteland alone sent chills down his spine.

Eyes wide in shock and horror, Sam reaches over to grab his father's arm crying out what was wrong, “Dad! Dad, are you alright?”

Higgs then noticed the blood and started to panic. “Holy shit, Pops! You’re coughing up blood!”

The boys were now panicking and Lou could sense it as well causing her to start crying.

“I-It’s fine. The doctor can help treat me.” Cliff said shakily before coughing out more blood again.

“But-!”

“Don’t worry, Sam. I’ll be fine.” Cliff reassured the boy, reaching over a hand and petting the tearful boy’s head and Higgs as well whom looked to be on the verge of tears as well despite his best to stay strong. His hand slides down to the pod and he taps on the glass in a way of telling Lou that everything is going to be alright.

The drive itself seemed like a dream. He didn’t recollect reaching their destination or activating the terminal. The next thing he knew was that he was on the metal floor on his back with his sons crying and screaming at him to hold on along with Lou crying her lungs out.

He wanted to tell them everything was going to be fine. That for now they were safe and they could contact John on his cufflink. But he couldn’t even speak those words, only more blood dribbling out of his mouth as he attempted to speak.

And then darkness.

Death was… nothing like he imagined. Darkness and then bubbles filled his vision as he floated in what appeared to be water. Water as far as his eyes could see as he felt himself fall into the depths. Looking around, he saw a few creatures swimming by. Schools of fishes and whales just lazing about in these depths. Was he in the ocean? But that wouldn't make sense since he was miles away from the ocean so how did he get here?

It was then in the distance he saw what appeared to be a golden strand descending from the surface of the waters down below. Turning over, he then saw himself and what appeared to be the doctor’s shelter, the boys on their knees by his side.

He didn’t know why but he felt an attraction to get to his body. To follow the strand. So he did. He swam over to his body and once he did so, everything went black again.

He woke up coughing and wheezing, his heart beating rapidly in his ears and he swore he heard rapid beeping as well right by his side.

“Easy there! That was too close for comfort my boy.” He heard a man speak.

“W-Where?”

“Your sons told me that you needed help through the terminal. Although they didn't have to tell me because I saw you collapse and was rushing out to get you into my bunker. Honestly, what were you thinking delivering my goods when you were on the brink of death? In fact, you died on the operating table. Your broken rib punctured your lung. You basically drowned on land.” The doctor scolded Cliff.

“The boys and that BB were crying and just breaking down. It was truly heart-wrenching. Thought that you were goner but then your heart started to beat after I fixed your rib, stitched your lung up and drained the blood out without me even getting a chance to get your heart beating again. Scared the hell out of me.” The doctor said going over to check Cliff’s vitals. 

“Whatever brought you back it's a miracle and you should count yourself lucky to still be breathing. They hadn’t left your side since once I informed them that you were going to be alright.”

Looking down, Cliff saw his sons sleeping curled up close to his side, Sam on the left and Higgs on the right, with Lou on top of his bandaged chest also sleeping.

“It wouldn’t stop crying even when they tried to put her close to your side. It only calmed down when I put it on top of your chest.”

“Her. And she has a name.” Cliff growled protectively like a father wolf protecting his pups. He hated when the others only saw Lou as nothing but a tool and addressing her as such.

That made the doctor step back in fright. “Ah… my apologies.”

“Babies like to hear their parent’s heartbeat. Makes them feel safe.” Cliff muttered, curling an arm around the pod holding it close to his chest while his other hand petted the boys’ heads reassuringly.

“I’ll leave you to rest then. And not to worry, your vehicle is stored safely.”

Cliff heard the man leave and he sighed in relief. He did not know what had just happened. It all seemed like a dream. But the doctor told him he was dead and then he was back without any medical intervention that would jumpstart his heart. Whatever the case, all that matters was that he was alive and that he could still be there for his kids.

He couldn’t just leave them stranded out here in this desolate world. Not now and not ever.


End file.
